No scope of Vidarbha’s development under Fadnavis: BJP MLA Ashish Deshmukh

BJP MLA from Katol, Ashish Deshmukh, slamming Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday, said, “There is no scope for the development of Vidarbha region under Devendra Fadnavis.” He further said that the BJP government in Maharashtra has become ‘defunct.’

According to The Indian Express, Deshmukh said, “When Fadnavis was in the opposition, he had raised the Vidarbha statehood issue at least seven times on the floor of the Legislative Assembly. However, he has forgotten Vidarbha after becoming chief minister.”

Deshmukh, who’s been a staunch supporter of separate Vidarbha, said, “I launched Vidarbha Atmabal yatra from Nagpur on January 7, which would conclude in Gadchiroli on February 13. I want to get blessings of the common man in remote villages and understand their hardships.”

On being asked as to why he was criticising his party and government, Deshmukh replied by saying that he was only speaking the truth. However, when he was asked whether he would quit the BJP and join Congress like former BJP MP Nana Patole, Deshmukh dodged the question.

Deshmukh, who’s going to attend a Congress-led protest in Yavatmal on January 25, plans to reveal his future political plans only after meeting the people of Vidarbha.

In December 2017, the BJP had served him with a show cause notice after he sent a seven page long letter to Fadnavis requesting him to become the torchbearer of separate Vidarbha.